The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-06
AFFAIRS At WASHINGTON
THE INTERSTATE COMMISSIONS
HEADQUARTERS.
The President Interviewed on the
Land Question-MinIster From
Austria Received.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-The inter.
stale Commerce Commission has Be
lected IS permanent quarters the fifth
floor Of the Sun bulldog. The annual
rental is $4,000. Col. WoIthingtoD,
general counsel for the Richmond and
pInville System; Mai Shelman, traffic
manager OF the Central Railroad aud
Banking Company OF Georgia; and
vics president Smith, Of the Louisville
and Nashville road, appeared this
morning, each in behalf OF his own
corporation, TO file the necessary for
NAL petitions for relief. In each case
the purpose OF the petitioners Is to
secure a suspension OF the opaa' ions
OF the long and short haul feature OF
the law for the present and until the
Commission can give hearings upon
each specific case. Congressman But
terworth, accompanied by CAPT. J. T.
Stockdale, Of the Pittsburg and Cincin.
natl steamboat Company; Capt. Gus.
Honshell, Of the Big Sandy aod Louis
vile Nail Line, and Capt. r. W. Wise,
OF the Memphis and Cincinnati
Packet Company, appeared before the
Commission rs representatives OF the
"rivtr interests" Mr.. Buttsrwortb,
as spokesman Of the delegation, ad-
dressed the Commission. He main.
tainsd that tho railroads were the
agencies OF the government, and that
tho powers conferred upon them were
conferred by all the citizens aud hencs
sh ou'd not be exercised for the adj
vantage OF one class against another.
The present tendency was TO produce
great aggregatione # people--large
cities--because the corporate agencies
of the government gave special priv
ilege6 to favored points, taxing tome
localities for the benefit OF others. 1t
was not for the public good that this
should be 80. II one desired to start
a factory at any intermediate point It
could not now be done, not because
advantages were lacking, but because
the government agencies would tax il
in the way OF transportation charges
for the purpose Of driving out compe-
tltion, The men who carry freight
upon the great natural high ways
the rivers-have no power OF this kind.
They could not forestall markets. II
ono chose 10 cl arge exorbitant rates,
another would enter upon the same
line in competition. The railr ads now
asked authority TO fix rates which will
drive the boats from tho rivers. Their
charges were not to be fixed in accord.
auce with any systematic adjustment
OF rates but as matter OF competi-
ton in which one party or the other
must 20 under. There were cla ees OF
goodp, and always would be, which
would 20 by rail, irrespective OF rates,
on competing lines. He noticed by
the reports aid before the commission
by some OF the reads u their
through traffic was only 20 per cent.
OF their total traffic. Now, what pro-
portion would they loee II compelled
to adopt uniform ra'es. In his opin.
ion it would be ncondsIdersble.
Touching the local trade, one man
whose shipments wire but bali car
load, was compelled TO pay fourth
cla's rates, while a larger
shipper OF the same sort of material,
shipping hundreds OF carloads, WAS
given rates Of the filth class and reaped
from this discrimination,
which had q tendency to crush ont
the email shippers. In his opinion it
wac the purpo,e Of the law. 60 prevent
theae determinations which foster
great sggregations and tend to the
production OF gullivers and pigmies.
Mr.. Smith, vice president OF the Louis
vile and Nashville road esi1 that 60
far % the Southern Association was
concerned there was no discrimiua-
ton in favor OF large cities. The
OF large railroads Recognized
III 1t was not for their interests TO
centrGlize business aud trade.
Mr.. George r, Blanchard, Chairman
Of the CeUtral Traffic Association, an-
paared and addressed the Commission
briefly in behalf OF the Michigan rail-
70 ids, setting forth the circumstances
which led TO the establishment OF
lower through rates from Milwaukee
across the lake and then across the
State of Michigan than could be given
Tor local traffic, by reason Of the ell
rail competition via Chicago. These
roads asked permission 10 maintain
local rates irrespective of the through
rates until euch time as the Com.
mission shall be able to take the pc.
Culiar circumstances and situation
into consideration.
John :. Laza us, general freight
agent OF the Indianapolis, Decatur and
Springfield railroad applied by letter
Tor "the privilege OF charging less on
grain and other traffic received from
connecting lines at JUNCTION than we
make from our LEGAL stations" He
says, for example, thai the local rate
from Tdscoa, ILL.,, to ludisns p)ls is 8
cents, and the rate from Indianapolis
to New York Ia % cent?, making 80
cents from Tusc0la 10 New York The
rates OF other roads Is 273 cents and II
this read participates iii connecting
line business it must reduce local rates
by u cents.
A ID. Smi h, general passenger
agent OF the Pittsbuvg and Lake Erie
railroad, has presented a petition aak-
ing that the long and shor. haul pro-
vision be waived for the present as re.
CARDS the transportation OF passengers
between Piitsburg and New York
This line Is longer than the Pennsyl-
vsnis o1te, with which it Ia in com
petition, aud TO get small portion OF
Tn passenger trsflic has put down the
rates to IS 80 for sec ond c'aa and
50 90 first class, as against $40 90
by the Pennsylvania route.
X Anderson, Superintendent OF the
Western and Atlanta Railroad Com
pany extending from Atlanta TO Chat.
tanooga, petitions to bo relieved from
the opera ion o. the fourth section,
aud "to charge lees for longer than q
SHORTER hall, from and through At
lalta, Rome and u a'tanooga and
intermediate points in order for said
company to meet water competition
from Rome, Chattanooga Montgomery
and Augusta"
nlNIsTKR FROM AUsTRIA RECEIVED.
The President was today officially
informed that the vacancy existing
for nearly two years past in the Office
OF Minister from Austria TO the I'm ted
States had been filed. The Chevalier